


When the Bough Breaks

by Snow_white79



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Gen, S2Ep19, Simon gets some powers, Simon thinks he's helping. The Queen knows what's up. S2, after episode 19. Seelie Queen has a gift for Simon.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 13:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11760627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snow_white79/pseuds/Snow_white79
Summary: Simon finds out that Maia has been taken to the Seelie realm. He goes to confront the Seelie Queen and gets more than he bargained for.This takes place right after episode 19





	When the Bough Breaks

When the Bough Breaks

  
“Where’s Maia?” Simon demands. He pushes down all his fear, all his anger, all his pain. This was his fault. Everyone warned him not to anger the Seelie Queen. Simon was never good at listening. He still was terrible at it considering Clary and Jace both warned him not to enter the Seelie realm without back-up, and yet here he was: alone in the Seelie realm, without back-up. He knows he needs to stop being so impulsive, but he can dwell on that at a later date. 

  
“You don’t have an appointment,” Meliorn comments, his tone bored, and yet his stance letting the daylighter know he was ready to fight at any given moment’s notice. 

  
“You know what? I don’t care. I know it was the Seelies that took her. Don’t even try to deny it!” 

  
“Who says I’m denying it?” Meliorn asks with a slight smirk. Behind him, a few more Seelies appear from behind the trees. 

  
Simon swallows hard. He knows starting a fight won’t help Maia. Taking a deep and unneeded breath, he tries to stay calm. “Please, Meliorn. I need her back.” 

  
“Who says she wants to return?” Meliorn asks, returning to his bored tone. The others around him all smile knowingly, and it makes Simon want to scream. 

  
“Damnit, Meliorn! Just tell me where she is or I’ll--” The daylighter starts, but he is quickly cut off when he hears a familiar voice behind him. 

  
“Or what?” The Seelie Queen asks. She waits until he turns around to face her before she smiles. “I’m rather curious, Daylighter. What on earth could you possibly threaten my dear Meliorn with?” 

  
Inwardly, Simon curses. He needed to be diplomatic and here he was showing weakness by losing control and threatening the Queen’s right-hand man. Outwardly, he forces a smile. “Just a stern talking to, of course. I mean, at least here, in your realm. Wouldn’t want to start anything when I’m outnumbered, right? Where’s Maia?” 

  
She tilts her head to one side, amused. “Oh, are you staking claim on the wolf? Funny thing, isn’t it? Just a short time ago you were head over heels that Shadowhunter and now you’ve set your sights on a wolf. I wonder, Simon, if you are simply against your own kind?” 

  
“What?! No…I…I just..it’s..it’s complicated, I mean..Raphael and I kind of…” he shakes his head. “Look, it’s not important. Just…please let Maia go. She didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me you’re mad at it, and I’m sorry. You and I can work it out and you can let Maia go.” Simon nods his head at his own words, smiling and hoping it can end easy. 

  
“Do you really feel you are in a place to make such demands, Simon Lewis?” The Queen asks, the smile disappearing from her voice. 

  
Simon pauses and begins to wish he actually brought some back up with him. “Um, no. I guess not. But it doesn’t hurt to try, right?” He holds his breath. 

  
Slowly, the smile returns on the Queen’s face. “Your bravery is both stupid and endearing.” 

  
Simon isn’t sure how to respond to that. “Thank you?” 

  
She huffs a small laugh, and Simon can feel the tension drain slightly from his body. “So…can she go?” 

  
“Tell me something, Daylighter. When Jace gave you his angel blood, did he know what you would become?” 

  
Simon opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. He doesn’t know what to say. He isn’t sure how she even knew. No one is supposed to know. He didn’t tell anyone, and he is damn well sure Jace didn’t tell anyone either. Who else could know such a thing? And why would they tell the Queen? 

  
“Walk with me,” she extends her hand, waiting for Simon to take it, knowing that it won’t take long for him to accept. 

  
Simon realizes he is utterly screwed. Reaching for her hand, he lets her guide them both deeper into the forest. “How did you know?” He asks. 

  
“Information for information, My Daylighter.” She responds with a guarded smile. 

  
“Very well,” Simon answers, already feeling somewhat defeated, but refusing to be down for the count. “No. Jace did not know that his blood would make me a daylighter.” 

  
She nods her head, and then answers his question. “Someone needed safe passage between worlds, and in exchange for my kindness, information was shared.” 

  
“But how is that even possible?” Simon asks, “I mean, I didn’t tell anyone. I know Jace wouldn’t either.” 

  
“Is that your question?” She asks, pausing and turning to face him. 

  
He frowns. “No. Um..my question is…who told you, and how did they know?” 

  
“That’s two questions.” She comments with an amused smile. 

  
Simon decides not to back down. Instead, he tilts up his chin and announces, “I know.” 

  
She laughs, letting go of his hand to clap her own hands together. “A game, how fun! Alright. Tell me, and this is a simple one, my dear, do you understand what creates a Seelie and what creates a Vampire?” 

  
He frowns for a moment, then replies, “A Seelie is half angel and half demon, while a Vampire is a mundane kept alive through demon energy.” He hates saying it out loud. The idea of having anything demonic inside of him makes his skin crawl. He tries not to think about it. He tries to focus on the fact that he is alive…well, sort of alive…

  
“The person who told me about your transition is the person who knows the most about Jace and his angel blood, of course,” the Queen answers with a wave of her hand. “Why do you dislike your own kind?” 

  
“I don’t!” Simon insists. “I just don’t get along with them…they…” he wants to admit that they make him nervous, but he doesn’t want to get into the politics of vampirism with a Seelie.” 

  
She smiles softly, touching his cheek. “They overwhelm you.” 

  
He exhales, and stares at her with surprise. That was exactly it. “At first…at first they scared the crap out of me, but then I started getting used to them…I mean, I wouldn’t call them friends, but I thought that maybe after a couple of decades I could feel comfortable hanging out with them…but after the fall out with Raphael and seeing how quickly they just turned against me…no…I mean…it’s cool with Raphael now, I think…he and I keep a healthy distance from each other…but I tried…seriously, I tried to make friends but it’s like they only wanted to be my friend because I’m a daylighter now, and dude, I ended up getting blamed for murdering a mundane…it’s just…the whole vampire thing…it just isn’t me..I mean, it IS me…but it’s not…like…I’m rambling. I don’t even know…”

  
She laughs, but Simon knows she isn’t laughing directly at him, so he smiles back, guarded. “Can I have Maia back now?” 

  
The queen continues to smile at him. “When you find her, and if she wants to return with you, she may. Sit down with me,” she gestures to a large and heavy branch leaning down onto the soft mossy grass. 

  
Simon sits down, “Why wouldn’t she want to come back?” 

  
“Why would she want to leave?” She counters with a smile. 

  
“She would want to be with her pack.” Simon answers confidently. 

  
“In that regard, you would want to be with your clan,” she replies, still amused. 

  
“Okay, I’m starting to lose my patience here. Can I please see Maia?” Simon asks, trying his best not to stand up and raise his voice. 

  
“You were once a mundane who was murdered and turned into a vampire due to demon energy. You were then given angel blood and can now walk in the light. Tell me, Daylighter, what is a creature that has both demon and angel blood coursing within it?” 

  
Slowly, Simon begins to see where this conversation is going. “I’m just me: Simon.” He slowly stands up, “Where’s Maia?” 

  
“You said yourself that a Seelie is a combined angel and demon. Seelies do not care for vampires, however a Daylighter is something quite different.” She explains, watching him carefully. 

  
He shakes his head. “Yeah, well, I’m not a Seelie.” 

  
“Of course not. Not by birth, not like us. However you have been created to be something more than what you believe you are. And I can help you.” 

  
Now it’s Simon’s turn to laugh. He tries not to sound hysterical. “No thanks, I’m good. Not that I don’t appreciate it, but number 1, I know it’s not sincere, and number 2, I just want to get Maia and go home.” 

  
“You don’t trust me.” The Queen states. There is no malice in her voice. It’s simply a stated fact. 

  
“Nope, I meant, yes… I mean…yes, I don’t trust you. You manipulate everyone to get what you want.” Simon answers. He scans the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Maia. 

  
“You should feel honored, Simon, that I am showing any interest in you,” The Queen comments, “I am sure others, such as your darling Shadowhunters see you as nothing more than an abomination. A vampire who stole their pure angel blood.” She arches a brow, knowing her comments will hit a nerve. 

  
“I didn’t steal!” Simon argues. “Jace gave me his blood. I was dying! Valentine slit my throat!” He stops for a moment. “Valentine! It was Valentine who told you! He knew that it was Jace who saved me, and he knew what Jace’s blood was capable of doing!” 

  
The Queen smiles, “Very good, Simon. I knew you would figure it out eventually.” 

  
“But wait...you let him escape?” Simon is flabbergasted, “Why? Why would you do that? I’m not that important… I mean, Valentine killed so many Downworlders…turning him over to the Clave would have been---”

  
“As empty of rewards as all of the Clave’s words,” The Queen responds evenly. “As for you not being important. My dear boy, how naïve you are.” Taking his hand in hers, she guides him deeper into the woods. “Downworlders have died horrible, painful deaths when given pure angel blood. The Clave used to kill quite a few Downworlders by forcing them to drink from the mortal cup long ago.” 

  
Simon tries not to gasp, but he knows he’s failed when she glances at him with a nod. “Yes, disgusting, I know. But for you to have survived says something about you, Simon. Something rather important.” 

  
He frowns, not sure he understands. “I don’t think so. I mean, maybe I just got lucky.” 

  
“Jace has an abnormally high level of angel blood in his system. Moreso than any other Nephilim. He is perhaps more angel than not. His blood would easily have killed a Downworlder. Your demon blood should have burnt you alive, killing you in exquisitely slow detail as soon as your lips touched his blood.” 

  
Simon scrunches his nose. “Dude, I didn’t need that image in my head.” 

  
The queen laughs again, shaking her head. “My darling Simon. My sweet child, you are a vampire with angel blood, and you can be so much more.” 

  
“I don’t want to be anything more…seriously. I’m having enough trouble just keeping up with every day life. I don’t need to add anything to it.” 

  
“You want to help your friends, do you not?” She asks, pausing to look at him. 

  
Simon stops walking, “Well, yeah, of course I do. Why do you think I’m here?” 

  
“You aren’t a very good vampire.” She states matter-of-factly. 

  
“You don’t need to remind me.” Simon retorts, slightly disgruntled that his reputation proceeds him. 

  
“You can’t encanto, and your fighting techniques are rather crude.” She continues. 

  
“Thanks.” 

  
“It’s lack of experience and motivation.” The Queen adds as an after-thought. 

  
“I guess I’m a lover, not a fighter.” Simon replies with a fake grin. 

  
“There are other ways to win a fight, Simon.” The Queen gestures to an opening at the end of the forest. Entering, Simon finds them standing in a meadow. “I wish to give you a gift.” 

  
Simon quells his nerves. “You don’t have to. I just want to bring Maia home, your Highness. If you don’t mind showing me to her?” 

  
“We can teach you so many things, Simon. You are so much to learn.” She smiles at him, and it reminds Simon of his fourth grade elementary school teacher who would always looks so proud of him regardless of what he did as long as he tried his best. 

  
“I’m good,” Simon insists, feeling rather uncomfortable with the attention. 

  
The Queen takes both his hands into hers, and says, “You are more than what others perceive you to be. And you can be even more than what you fathom to ever dream of being.” 

  
“I just want Maia safe.” Simon responds. 

  
“A gift, Simon.” She smiles openly at him. 

  
“What is it?” he asks, not wanting to admit that he’s curious. 

  
“Do you accept it?” 

  
“Will it let me take Maia home…alive and safe?” Simon wouldn’t do a thing if it meant Maia was stuck here. 

  
“Maia can leave if she chooses to leave.” The Queen announces. 

  
“What does that mean? Did you do something to her?” His suspicion grows. 

  
“Do you accept my gift?” 

  
Simon swallows hard and stares at her. She gives nothing in her expression. “What does it involve?” 

She smiles triumphantly, “So you accept?”

  
Maia. He knows he has to do this for Maia. Slowly, he nods his head. “Okay. I accept.” Simon looks around, “Where is she?” 

  
“First, your gift. Come.” She leads him to the center of the meadow. A small patch of dirt and stone sits in the middle. She sits down and he follows suit. Smiling, the Queen pulls out a small vial, about the length of Simon’s smallest finger. Gently opening the gold top, she hands it to him as a few gold sparkles glitter out into the midst. “Our finest and most pure nectar within our secluded realm.” 

  
Carefully taking the glass vial, he looks at the gold liquid inside. “Um, thanks?” 

  
“It will protect you,” The Queen explains. “Drink it.” 

  
Simon looks up at her in surprise. “Drink it? In case you’ve forgotten, I’m still a vampire.” 

  
She smiles, touching his arm. “It won’t hurt you. It will only protect. It’s my gift, to you.” 

  
He looks at the vial again. It’s a small amount. He can try to imagine it’s Children’s Tylenol or maybe even one of those emergency liquid Benadryl vials his mom used to always carry in her purse. Of course the medicine was never shimmering gold. Glancing back at the Queen, he confirms, “And then I can take Maia home?” 

  
She smiles, nodding. “If she wants to leave with you, she is free to leave. If she wants to leave the realm on her own, she may as well. If you want to stay, you are welcome to call this your home.” 

  
“Yeah, I’m good, thanks.” He looks at the drink again, and then back at the Queen. He gives the vial a determined nod. Sighing, he forces a smile, “L’Chaim,” he says and immediately chugs it. Simon expects a harsh taste, but instead he is met with a subtle flavor of something flowerly. He coughs, feeling a tickle in his throat. Looking back at the queen, he forces another smile, “That was..nice…different. Thanks…can I see Maia now?” 

  
She nods, still smiling. “Of course, Simon. Follow me.” She stands up and waits for him to follow. 

  
Slowly, Simon stands up, feeling a bit light headed, and cold. “Um, is this drink supposed to make…to make me feel…”

  
“Is there a problem?” She asks, feigning concern. 

  
“Did you drug me?” He asks, stumbling forward. She catches his arm with a soft laugh. 

  
“My dear boy, I gave you the gift of our nectar. Mundanes call it the drink of gods. Surely you must have known it would be strong.” 

  
He chuckles, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I guess I didn’t think things through…again. I tend to do that.” 

  
She smiles, patting his arm. “Come now. Let’s find your wolf.” 

  
He nods his head, stumbling along, however he quickly finds himself stopping when his vision begins to darken. “Something’s wrong,” he mumbles, trying to enunciate each word as he feels his tongue growing heavy in his mouth. 

  
“Nothing is wrong, Simon. Everything is right. I’ve given you a gift and you have accepted. You will be what you are meant to be now.” 

  
“What…what does…that…mean? I don’t…” the words fall from Simon’s lips as the daylighter feels his knees hit the soft grass. The last thing he sees, is the Queen looking down at him with a curious smile on her face. 

  
************************************** 

  
Opening his eyes, Simon quickly shuts them again. Groaning, he touches his head, surprised that it doesn’t hurt. Opening his eyes again, he looks around, surprised to find himself on a bed covered with rose petals. Sitting up, he scans the room made of marble and stone. Branches cover most of the walls, and a tree has wrapped itself around a large rock, creating a heavy table. On it, sits a golden goblet and a large, crystal bottle full of blood. 

  
Standing up, Simon slowly sniffs the bottle. It smells like blood. Fresh blood. He pours a bit into the glass and sniffs it again. Satisfied that it’s safe, he drinks it and pours himself another glass. “Maia,” he tells himself. He needs to find Maia. He made a deal with the Queen, and Seelies do not lie. He just needed to find her, and they could go home. 

  
Finishing his drink, he walks through the open door and out of what seems like a very extravagant cave. He pauses at the exit, looking over at a wall made of ice. Inside of it are bags and bags of blood. 

  
“How are you feeling?” 

  
Simon jumps in surprise, turning quickly to find the Queen standing at the cave’s opening. She walks over to him, turning to glance over at the iced wall. “I wasn’t sure how often you need to feed. We don’t care much for vampires here.” 

  
“Oh. Um..thanks. No…the glass of blood in that room was fine. I mean…new vampires…um…newer? Um, they tend to need to feed a bit more than older ones…um..I mean, I’m not old…but I’m..um…I guess like twice a day is good? But I could do once a day too..I’ve…um…never gone more than once a day? So I don’t know…I mean…twice a day is good. I don’t remember too much of my first week, but I think I fed, like four or five times a day, er night I mean…yeah…something like that…but I’m good now…I just need…man, what is that?” He pauses, looking at his fingers. They feel strange. 

  
“What is what?” She asks, looking at his hands with him. 

  
“My hands…my fingers…they feel…I feel…it’s weird. What was in that drink again?” He looks back at the Queen. 

  
She smiles at him, touching his cheek. “Such a sweet boy. You’re still such a young child. It’s just growing pains.” 

  
“Growing pains?” Simon repeats, confused. 

  
“Perhaps you need another glass of blood?” She turns to a member of her court who immediately moves past Simon and into the room he once occupied. 

  
“Glass?” He looks over at her, still confused. His head felt hot, but cold. “I feel…something’s weird.” A Seelie returns to him with a glass of blood. He frowns, slowly reaching for it. As soon as his fingers touch the glass, it shatters. He jumps back. “Whoa!” 

  
She tilts her head, looking at the broken shards of glass and blood on the ground. 

  
“I’m sorry...I didn’t mean…I don’t even know how…” he stammers. He touches his head again. “What’s happening to me?” 

  
She smiles softly at him. “You are alright, Simon. You are becoming what you were meant to be. Demon, Angel, Everything and Anything. You have accepted your gift and will be ours to keep.” 

  
“Wha…what?” Simon asks, struggling to speak as his eyes start to close again. 

  
“It’s time to rest, Simon,” She decides, guiding him back to the room. He stumbles, but the other Seelie takes his other arm to help him stay upright. 

  
“Wha’ happenin’….? I…I hav’ ge’ Maia…” He slurs. 

  
“Rest first, my dear,” The Queen says, helping him back onto the bed. Smiling, she sits down and brushes back his hair. “You need your rest. And when you wake up, it will feel like a whole new world.” 

  
“I dun’ wanna new wo’ld…I like m’ne as is…” Simon mumbles as he feels himself drift off once again. 

  
“Sleep well, my sweet boy.” The queen whispers softly. 

  


  
Waking up a second time, Simon sits up quickly. “I need to find Maia,” he tells himself. Standing up, he sees the bottle of blood on the table. 

  
“Feeling better?” A new voice asks. 

  
Simon turns quickly to see the new person entering the room. “Uh, yeah...I’m fine…I don’t know what happened…”

  
She smiles, “I’m glad you are feeling better. Come, the Queen has been waiting.” She pauses, looking at the bottle of blood. “Would you like to feed?” 

  
He shakes his head quickly. “No, I just need to get Maia and get out of here.” 

  
She nods her head. “Follow me, Simon Lewis.” She turns around, knowing that he will follow her. 

  
Simon immediately follows her out of the cave and into the shimmering forest. It doesn’t take long for them to reach the Seelie Court. 

  
“Simon,” The Queen greets with a smile. “I’m glad you are awake.” 

  
He nods, “Yeah, thanks. Where is Maia?” 

  
“She’s around. Tell me, how are feeling?” 

  
He looks down at his hands, and then his feet. “Um…better. The tingling is gone. I don’t know what happened. I guess the nectar had a weird effect on me.” 

  
“Nothing weird about it, my child. It simply enhanced your true abilities, giving you the powers you need for protection.” 

  
Simon nods, not really understanding, but wanting to leave with Maia as soon as possible. “Sure. Thanks for that, um, can I get Maia now? We really should get going now.” 

  
“Are you sure about that?” 

  
“Of course I’m sure.” Simon answers, wanting to just grab Maia and go. 

  
She nods. Immediately the ground opens up and thick vines quickly wrap around Simon’s body. 

  
“What the? Hey!” He struggles. “What gives?!” 

  
The Queen leans back, relaxed. “I told you. I gave you a gift. Now use it, Simon.” 

  
“Use it?! I don’t understand!” He shouts. He looks around at the other Seelies, who are all watching him with curious eyes. 

  
The Queen sighs, speaking to him as if he is a small child. “Simon, I’m not going to ask again. It would be a waste for you to die like this. A painful and useless waste.” 

  
Simon continues to struggle, feeling the panic swell inside him. 

  
“Use your power and get out.” The Queen repeats. 

  
“I can’t!” He struggles, but the vines only tighten and increase in quantity. 

  
“Powers, Child,” The Queen commands, becoming impatient. 

  
“I don’t know how! Nothing is working!” Simon shouts, panicked. “Why are you doing this?! I don’t understand! I can’t get out! Nothing is working!” 

  
She sighs loudly. “My dear boy, you have the powers within you. You felt it in your fingers moments earlier. Concentrate on that feeling and focus on the desire to remove the vines before they cut your blood supply and render you unconscious.” 

  
Simon shuts his eyes tightly, trying to remember the feeling he felt earlier in his fingers. He focuses on that and thinks about how he wants to remove the vines in any way possible. Immediately he feels a coldness inside of him. He remembers the same feeling when he first tasted the nectar. It was as if there was a dam inside of him full of cold water that suddenly emptied and filled his limbs. 

  
“Excellent.” 

  
Opening his eyes, Simon finds himself sitting on the ground. The vines are now frozen, covered with ice, and lay limply all around him. “Did I..? Did I do that?” 

  
She smiles, and Simon thinks she might actually be proud of him. “Yes, Simon. You did. You used the cold inside of you.” 

  
“The cold?” 

  
“Your body is cold, Simon. Your mundane body has only stayed in animated form due to demonic energy. The angel blood allows you to walk in daylight, and now the nectar from the Seelie realm has given you the ability to use the cold within you to manipulate nature.” She smiles, gesturing with a flick of her wrist and the vines immediately thaw and slide back under the Earth. 

  
Simon looks back at his hands. Looking at a rose bush, he studies it, and then lifts his hand up, imagining the cold inside of him reaching out to touch each petal. 

  
He jumps back when the roses and bush are now covered in a sheet of ice. 

  
The queen laughs, clapping her hands. “That’s wonderful, Simon.” 

  
He laughs, looking at the frozen rose bush and then back at the Queen. “I’m like Elsa!” 

  
She smiles, “Ah, yes, the movie. I do believe I’ve heard of it.” 

  
“You’ve seen it?” Simon asks, surprised. 

  
“No.” 

  
“Oh.” He looks back at his hands. “This is so cool…like literally.” Standing back up, he grins. “Well, um, thank you, your majesty.” 

  
She nods her head. “You’re welcome.” 

  
“I don’t understand though. I mean, this is a pretty awesome gift. What’s the catch?” 

  
She smiles, “This gift is now a part of you, and you are now a part of this world. This world is your home, and we are your family.” 

  
Simon nods his head. It feels right. He likes the idea of having a family, of having a place to belong. He has one already though. He has a home. He has a few homes actually. He has the house he grew up in. He has the boathouse by Jade Wolf, and now he has the Seelie Realm. The thought of it brings him peace. 

  
“We will always protect you, Simon Lewis. And you will always protect us. Because we are family. You may not have been born a Seelie, but you have some of our qualities inside you.” She smiles, letting him process the information before continuing. “Vampire blood and demonic energy turned you into a vampire. Angel blood moved you into a Daylighter. And now, my sweet child, by absorbing our nectar, you are even more than that.” 

  
“What am I?” Simon asks. “I’m not a Seelie…I still need blood to survive…not…whatever you guys eat. I know that…I’m like, what? A cousin to the Seelies? A Fairy-Vampire? Is that even a thing?” 

  
“Consider yourself a hybrid, Simon. A one-of-a-kind, special hybrid who holds favor for the queen, and I to him.” 

  
Simon smiles, looking back at the bush. He frowns. “Can I turn it back?” 

  
She glances over at the bush and it immediately thaws. “No. Your powers are cold-driven. There is no warmth in death.” 

  
He tries not to take insult in that. It’s not the first time he thought of himself as a walking and talking corpse. It’s taken several months to get over that feeling. Looking back at the Queen, he nods. “And Maia?” 

  
She smiles and gestures towards the woods. “She’s in there, enjoying some berries and having a grand ol’ time. She is free to leave with you if she wills it. Do you wish to leave, Simon Lewis?” 

  
It surprises Simon when he realizes he does not. He looks back at the bush, now bright with new blooming roses. Looking down at the ground, he slowly wriggles his fingers, smiling when he sees ice forming beneath his feet and growing wider in a circle. He continues to walk, letting the ice crackle under his feet as he moves towards the trees. Looking up, he smiles when he sees a light layer of frost cover each leaf. It’s like a rush of energy. A rush he can control. And it’s been so long since Simon has felt some level of control. 

  
He can hear laughing, and he follows the sound, soon finding Maia laughing and sitting at a long table, her fingers red from the berries, her lips stained with their juice. She is surrounded by other Seelies, all laughing. It looks like a party. 

  
“Maia,” He calls out, relieved to see her safe. “You’re okay!” 

  
“Simon!” She greets, popping a few more berries in her mouth, and Simon wonders if they may be laced with something stronger than Vitamin C. “You gotta try these.” 

  
“Nah, I’m good, thanks…not sure I could actually digest them, you know?” Simon replies with a smile. “You ready to go home?” 

  
She pauses, looking at him as if he has grown another head. “What? Why? No way.” 

  
“No, Maia. Look, we gotta go. Everyone’s worried about you.” Simon explains, reaching for her. 

  
She pulls back, stumbling backwards and picking up a goblet full of something which she drinks. “No one is worried about me. No one cares, Simon. It’s all fend for themselves. No one listens! It’s pointless! Everything up there is pointless, Simon.” She finishes her drink, and reaches for another berry. 

  
“I think you’ve had enough berries, Maia.” Simon comments. 

  
“I think you’re a party pooper.”Maia retorts with annoyance. 

  
“Okay. That’s it. Come on, let’s go.” He walks over to her, and she laughs, running to the other side of the table. 

  
“Nope. Not gonna happen. I’m happy here, Simon. Don’t you get it? I feel…I feel alive! I feel good. I feel happy!” She laughs again, taking another berry into her mouth. 

  
“You have school tomorrow.” He reminds her. 

  
“Screw it.” 

  
“Maia!” 

  
“Screw it.” She says again. Narrowing her eyes, she frowns at him. “And screw you. Don’t tell me how to to live my life.” 

  
“Maia, this isn’t you. This is the berries and the drink, and Seelie magic, and whatever else, I don’t know…but we need to leave.” He thinks about Luke and the pack, and how worried they all are. 

  
“No.” Maia says again. “I don’t want to leave, and you can’t make me. The Seelies said I can stay as long as I like and I can leave whenever I want. And guess what? I’m happy here, so I’m not going anywhere.” 

  
“Maia…please,” Simon tries. 

  
“No means no, Simon,” The Queen calls out as she ventures towards them. She smiles at Maia, “Enjoying the festivities?” 

  
Maia grins, popping another berry into her mouth. “Sure am. Thanks for having me over.” 

  
“Of course. Downworlders are safe under my care here as long as I know they have no ill intentions towards my people.” The Queen glances back at Simon. “I am everyone’s Queen, am I not?” With a smile, she walks back towards the court. 

  
Simon doesn’t know where to go. With a sigh, he walks away from Maia and back towards the court where the Queen is. “What did you do to her?” He demands. 

  
She laughs, “My boy, I invited her into my home and offered her food and drink. I am an excellent hostess, and as you can see, she is having a wonderful time.” 

  
“Why? Why did you even bring her here?” 

  
The queen smiles. “Doesn’t it make you happy?” 

  
“What?” 

  
“Having her here, with you? Doesn’t it make you happy?” 

  
“That’s not Maia. That’s some drunk and high version of Maia.” Simon argues. 

  
“That is Maia, being happy and free from stress. You don’t want Maia to be happy? Seems a bit selfish, Simon.” 

  
“Of course I want her happy!” 

  
“Good. Then all is well. Helena?” The Queen looks over at one of the Seelies. “Please show Simon to the training facility. Bach should already be there.” Looking back at Simon, she explains, “We are on the brink of war, and must all be prepared. Helena and Bach will help guide you through your powers so you will be ready when the time comes.” 

  
“This was your plan? To make an army of Downworlders to fight the Shadowhunters? I’m not going to do it. You can’t make me do it.” Simon feels like stomping his feet, but restrains from having a full out tantrum. 

  
“Of course not, Simon. But you will want to do it because you will want to protect your family. We are your family. The Downworld is your family. The Clave doesn’t care about us. The only reason you’re not a prisoner of Idris is because of Clary Fairchild. And when she dies, the Shadowhunters won’t care to keep you safe. They will more than likely dangle you out in front of their enemy as the perfect distraction. You will be nothing more than a bargaining chip or pawn in their game.” 

  
Simon feels himself being guided away from the court. “You’re wrong. They wouldn’t do that. Izzy, Jace, Alec…they’d stand by me…” he argues. 

  
The Queen simply smiles at him, “You’re a pawn to the Clave. But to us, you are family. You are loved and treasured, and we will protect you just like we know you will do for us.” She smiles, watching her new prized weapon leave the court. Everything was working perfectly.


End file.
